Articulated mask



June 2, 1964 .1. s. WARD ARTICULATED MASK Filed April 5, 1962 V/ mm M T. m m v5 M d a w 1 \m J United States Patent York Filed Apr. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 185,318 Claims. (Cl. 2-206) This invention relates generally to masks, and more particularly to a mask having an articulated jaw which may be manipulated by the wearer to simulate a living creature.

Since time immemorial masks have been worn to trans form human actors into other living forms or to create imaginary and monstrous beings. While the uses of masks for ceremonial, theatrical or religious purposes has long since been abandoned in Western civilizations, they nevertheless remain popular, particularly among children, and they are commonly used by them in games and on special holiday occasions such as Halloween.

The conventional toy mask is formed by a contoured papier-mache shell adapted to fit over the face of the wearer. The shell is shaped and painted to represent an imaginary creature, and is usually provided with eye holes, a nose protuberance of some sort, and a jaw extension to accommodate the wearers jaw.

However well executed, the conventional mask nevertheless fails to simulate an animate body, for while the wearer may impart motion to the mask by twisting his head or by other movements, the fact remains that the mask itself is static and inanimate. It is this very immobility which destroys the desired illusion and impairs the effectiveness of the mask. While a human or animal face is composed of components each capable of some activity, such as eye, ear and nose movements, these movements are slight and subtile as compared to jaw actions which are relatively gross and easily seen.

Accordingly it is the principal object of this invention to provide a mask having an articulated jaw which may be manipulated by the jaw of the wearer to impart verisimilitude to the mask.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a mask composed of separable cardboard elements which may be easily and quickly assembled to form a mask of the above-identified type.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mask having an articulated jaw, which is of simple but sturdy structure, and which may be manufactured and sold at low cost.

Briefly stated, these objects are attained by a mask constituted by a box-like headpiece having an open base to admit the head of a wearer, a jawpiece projecting forwardly from the base and being pivotally connected thereto. Mounted across the open base at the front end thereof and attached to the jawpiece is a chin saddle adapted to engage the wearers chin and causing the jaw to jump or oscillate in response to chin movement.

For a better understanding of this invention as well as other objects and other features thereof, reference is made to the following detailed specification to be read in connection with the annexed drawings wherein like elements in the various figures are identified by like reference numerals.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mask placed over the head of the wearer;

FIG. 2 is a view of the mask as seen through the head hole thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a section taken hrough the mask in the plane indicated by line 33 in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the mask in accordance with the invention is constituted by a box-like head- 3,134,984 Patented June 2, 1964 "ice piece, generally designated by numeral 10, a jawpiece 11 and a chin saddle 12.

The headpiece 10 may be formed from a single flat blank of corrugated board having fold lines scored therein to'provide a face panel 10a, two side panels 10b and 100, a back panel 10d, and a top panel 10s. The back panel 10d and the top panel 101: are provided with tabs 13 which are insertible in correspondingly spaced slots formed in side panel 1%.

Thus in assembling the headpiece one has simply to fold the various panels of the blank into the box-like form and to insert the tabs in the slots therefor to hold the box together. The slots are somewhat narrower than the tabs in order to compress the tabs upon insertion and thereby clamp them in place.

Two holes 14 are punched in face panel 10a to provide eye openings. A nosepiece 15 is formed by a cardboard blank which is so cut as to form a half pyramid when bent, the nose-piece having tabs insertible in slots in face panel 10a to hold it in place. The mouth is constituted by a crescent-shaped notch 16 on the face panel extending to the open base of the head box.

Jaw 11, which projects forwardly form the base in front of the mouth opening, is constituted by a strip of corrugated board which is bent along fold lines to define a prow-like shape having parallel extensions 11a and 11b, the upper edge 110 of the prow being serrated to represent teeth.

The parallel extensions 11a and 11b of the jawpiece are pivotally connected at their upper corners to the headpiece by roundhead paper fasteners 17 having bendable prongs which are extended outwardly against the inner surface of the cardboard panel to lock the fasteners in place.

Extending across the jawpiece and passing through openings in the side extensions 11a and 11b thereof, is the chin saddle 12 which preferably takes the form of a corrugated board blank folded to form a tube having a triangular cross-section. The saddle is so disposed that the base thereof acts as a chin rest when the head of the wearer is inserted in the headpiece.

Rubber bands 18 or other elastic means are provided to connect the chin saddle to anchoring bolts or fasteners 19 inserted in the side panels of the headpiece. The rubber bands, as best seen in FIG. 3, act to normally maintain the jaw at a position substantially perpendicular to the headpiece. However, when the wearer presses downwardly on the chin saddle by moving his jaw, the jawpiece 11 is also forced downwardly to simulate a jaw movement, the jawpiece being returned by the rubber bands to its initial position when chin pressure is released.

Stapled to the side panels 10b and and projecting downwardly therefrom are a pair of struts 20 which are designed to rest on the chest of the wearer 21 and to thereby maintain the mask in its proper position on the head.

It will be seen that the mask may be packaged in a knocked-down or disassembled condition and then quickly assembled from a simple set of instructions. The various components may, of course, be highly colored or otherwise decorated, as desired. When the wearer places themask over his head, he rests his chin against the base of the chin saddle, his eyes looking through the eye holes 14, as shown in FIG. 1. Then by a jaw movement the jaw piece may be caused to swing up and down, imparting animation to the mask and simulating a living monster or Whatever else the mask is intended to represent.

While there has been shown What is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential concept underlying the invention. Thus the headpiece may be pro-formed and may be shaped or contoured to represent an animallike form such as an alligator, with the jawpiece being articulated thereto in the manner previously described to simulate an alligator jaw movement. Many other variations of this type are possible Within the scope of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mask comprising a hollow headpiece having an open base to admit the head of a wearer, means extending downwardly from the headpiece to engage the chest of the wearer to maintain the headpiece position, a jawpiece projecting forwardly from the base and pivoted thereto, a chin saddle extending across said open base and attached to the jawpiece, the saddle being positioned to engage the wearers chin, and means resiliently connecting said jawpiece to said headpiece whereby the jawpiece may be caused to oscillate by the wearers jaw movement.

2. A mask comprising a hollow headpiece having an open base to admit the head of a wearer, means extending downwardly from the headpiece to engage the chest of the wearer to maintain the headpiece position, a jawpiece projecting forwardly from the base and constituted by a strip of cardboard folded to form a prow-like member having side extensions, means pivotally connecting said side extensions to said headpiece, a chin saddle extending across said open base and attached to the side extensions of said jawpiece, the saddle being positioned to engage the wearers chin, and means resiliently connecting said jawpiece to said headpiece whereby the jawpiece may be caused to oscillate by the Wearers jaw movement.

3. A demountable mask comprising a hollow headpiece formed from a single blank of corrugated board having fold lines to define the panels of a box having an open base to admit the head of a wearer, a jawpiece projecting forwardly from the base and constituted by a single strip of cardboard foldable to form a prow-like member having side extensions, means pivotally connecting the upper corners of said extensions to the two side panels of said box, a chin saddle extending across said open base and attached to the jawpiece, the saddle being positioned to engage the wearers chin, means resiliently connecting said jawpiece to said headpiece whereby the jawpiece may be caused to oscillate by the wearers jaw movement, and struts attached to said side panels to maintain the position of said headpiece on the head of the wearer.

4. A mask as set forth in claim 3, wherein said chin saddle is constituted by a single piece of cardboard folded to form a tube having a triangular cross-section whose ends are receivable in openings in said side extensions.

5. A mask as set forth in claim 3, wherein said resilient means is constituted by rubber bands encircling said saddle and anchored to said side panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,799 Walton June 13, 1899 1,913,083 Kroha June 6, 1933 2,441,333 Reinsberg May 11, 1948 2,795,796 Ray June 18, 1957 

1. A MASK COMPRISING A HOLLOW HEADPIECE HAVING AN OPEN BASE TO ADMIT THE HEAD OF A WEARER, MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE HEADPIECE TO ENGAGE THE CHEST OF THE WEARER TO MAINTAIN THE HEADPIECE POSITION, A JAWPIECE PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM THE BASE AND PIVOTED THERETO, A CHIN SADDLE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID OPEN BASE AND ATTACHED TO THE JAWPIECE, THE SADDLE BEING POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE WEARER''S CHIN, AND MEANS RESILIENTLY CONNECTING SAID JAWPIECE TO SAID HEADPIECE WHEREBY THE JAWPIECE MAY BE CAUSED TO OSCILLATE BY THE WEARER''S JAW MOVEMENT. 